Contents
INTRODUCTION........................................................................ 1
OVERVIEW......................................................................................1
WHAT’S INCLUDED ........................................................................1
FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS........................................................1
CARD SETUP ............................................................................ 2
RS-485 ENABLE MODES.................................................................2
Interface Mode Examples SW1 – SW4 (continued)...................4
ADDRESS AND IRQ SELECTION.......................................................4
ELECTRICAL INTERFACE SELECTION ..............................................5
CLOCK MODES ...............................................................................6
BAUD RATES AND DIVISORS FOR THE ‘DIV1’ MODE ......................6
INSTALLATION......................................................................... 7
OPERATING SYSTEM INSTALLATION...............................................7
For Windows Users ....................................................................7
Other Operating Systems............................................................7
SYSTEM INSTALLATION ..................................................................7
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION....................................................... 8
CONNECTOR PIN ASSIGNMENTS .....................................................8
RS-422/485 (DB 9 Male)........................................................8
RS-232 (DB-9 Male)...............................................................8
RS-232, RS-422/485 (DB-37 Male)........................................9
SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................................10
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS...............................................10
MANUFACTURING.........................................................................10
POWER CONSUMPTION .................................................................10
MEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURES (MTBF)...................................10
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS ................................................................10
A
PPENDIX A - TROUBLESHOOTING....................................... 11
A
PPENDIX B - HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE ............................ 12
A
PPENDIX C - ELECTRICAL INTERFACE............................... 13
RS-232.........................................................................................13
RS-422.........................................................................................13
RS-485.........................................................................................14
A
PPENDIX D - ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ............15
APPENDIX E - SILK-SCREEN.................................................. 16
APPENDIX F - COMPLIANCE NOTICES .................................. 17
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT ..............17
EMC DIRECTIVE STATEMENT ......................................................17
WARRANTY............................................................................ 18
Figures
Figure 1- Switches SW1- SW4, RS-422....................................................3
Figure 2 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘Auto’ Enabled, with ‘No Echo’
and the termination resistor in circuit. ............................................3
Figure 3 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘Auto’ Enabled, with ‘Echo’ and no
termination resistor in circuit...........................................................3
Figure 4 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘RTS’ Enabled, with ‘No Echo’ and
no termination resistor in circuit......................................................4
Figure 5 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘RTS’ Enabled, with ‘Echo’ and no
termination resistor in circuit...........................................................4
Figure 6 - Asynchronous Communications Bit Diagram .....................15
© Sealevel Systems, Inc.
SL9064 Revision 5/2007
Sealevel Systems, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
0BIntroduction
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 1
Introduction
Overview
The Sealevel COMM+4.PCI is a four channel RS-232/485/422 PCI Bus serial
I/O adapter supporting data rates up to 460.8K bps.
The RS-232 compatibility allows for connection to devices utilizing the RS-232
electrical interface, such as modems, data-entry terminals, and plotters.
RS-422 provides excellent communications for long distance device
connections up to 4000ft., where noise immunity and high data integrity are
essential.
RS-485 is optimized for ‘Multi-Drop’ or ‘Party-line’ operations selecting data
from multiple peripherals (as many as 31 devices can be connected on an
RS-485 bus).
In both RS-485 and RS-422 modes, the card works seamlessly with the standard
operating system serial driver. In RS-485 mode, our special auto-enable feature
allows the RS-485 ports to be viewed by the operating system as a COM: port.
This allows the standard COM: driver to be utilized for RS-485
communications. Our on-board hardware automatically handles the RS-485
driver enable.
What’s Included
The COMM+4.PCI is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is
missing or damaged, contact the supplier.
• COMM+4.PCI Serial I/O Adapter
• Sealevel Software
• “Spider” Cable providing 4 DB-9 connectors
Factory Default Settings
The COMM+4.PCI factory default settings are as follows:
Port # Clock DIV Mode Enable Mode
Port 1 4 RS-422
Port 2 4 RS-422
Port 3 4 RS-422
Port 4 4 RS-422
To install the COMM+4.PCI using factory default settings, refer to Installation
on page 7.
Card Setup
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 2
Card Setup
RS-485 Enable Modes
RS-485 is ideal for multi-drop or network environments. RS-485 requires a
tri-state driver that will allow the electrical presence of the driver to be removed
from the line. The driver is in a tri-state or high impedance condition when this
occurs. Only one driver may be active at a time and the other driver(s) must be
tri-stated. The output modem control signal Request To Send (RTS) is typically
used to control the state of the driver. Some communication software packages
refer to RS-485 as RTS enable or RTS block mode transfer.
One of the unique features of the COMM+4.PCI is the ability to be RS-485
compatible without the need for special software or drivers. This ability is
especially useful in Windows and other protected mode environments where the
lower level I/O control is abstracted from the application program. This ability
means that the user can effectively use the COMM+4.PCI in an RS-485
application with existing (i.e. standard RS-232) software drivers.
Switches SW1 - SW4 are used to control the RS-485 mode functions for the
driver circuit. The selections are ‘RTS’ enable (silk-screen ‘RT’) or ‘Auto’
enable (silk-screen ‘AT’). The ‘Auto’ enable feature automatically
enables/disables the RS-485 interface. The ‘RTS’ mode uses the ‘RTS’ modem
control signal to enable the RS-485 interface and provides backward
compatibility with existing software products.
Position 3 (silk-screen ‘NE’) of these switches is used to control the RS-485
enable/disable functions for the receiver circuit and determine the state of the
RS-422/485 driver. The RS-485 ‘Echo’ is the result of connecting the receiver
inputs to the transmitter outputs. Every time a character is transmitted; it is also
received. This can be beneficial if the software can handle echoing (i.e. using
received characters to throttle the transmitter) or it can confuse the system if the
software does not. To select the ‘No Echo’ mode select silk-screen position
‘NE’.
Typically, each end of the RS-485 bus must have a line-terminating resistor
(RS-422 terminates the receive end only). A 120-ohm resistor is across each
RS-422/485 input in addition to a 1K-ohm pull-up/pull-down combination that
biases the receiver inputs. Only the ends of an RS-485 network should have the
120-Ohm terminating resistor. Position 4 (silk-screen ‘T’) selects the presence
of the 120-Ohm termination resistor across the input data pins (RX+/RX-). To
add the termination select the ‘On’ position, to remove it select the ‘Off’
position.
For RS-422/530/449 compatibility set all switches ‘Off’. Examples on the
following pages describe some of the valid settings for SW1-SW4.
Card Setup
Interface Mode Examples SW1 – SW4
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
AT RT NE T
Figure 1- Switches SW1- SW4, RS-422
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
AT RT NE T
Figure 2 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘Auto’ Enabled, with ‘No Echo’ and the
termination resistor in circuit.
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
AT RT NE T
Figure 3 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘Auto’ Enabled, with ‘Echo’ and no
termination resistor in circuit.
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 3
Card Setup
Interface Mode Examples SW1 – SW4 (continued)
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
AT RT NE T
Figure 4 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘RTS’ Enabled, with ‘No Echo’ and no
termination resistor in circuit.
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
AT RT NE T
Figure 5 - Switches SW1- SW4, RS-485 ‘RTS’ Enabled, with ‘Echo’ and no
termination resistor in circuit.
Address and IRQ selection
The COMM+4.PCI is automatically assigned resources by your motherboard
BIOS. Only the I/O addresses may be modified by the user. Adding or removing
other hardware may change the assignment of I/O addresses and IRQs.
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 4
Card Setup
Electrical Interface Selection
Each port on the COMM+4.PCI has the ability to be used in either RS-232 or
RS-422/485. This is selectable via eight 24 pin DIP-shunts at E1-E8. Please use
the following illustration to aid in the configuration of your electrical interface.
E5
E6
Port 2
RS-232 RS-422
E7
E8
Port 1
RS-232 RS-422
RS-422/485
E1
E2
Port 4
RS-232 RS-422
E3
E4
Port 3
RS-232 RS-422
RS-232
E5
E6
Port 2
RS-232 RS-422
E7
E8
Port 1
RS-232 RS-422
E1
E2
Port 4
RS-232 RS-422
E3
E4
Port 3
RS-232 RS-422
Figure 6 - Headers E1 - E4, Electrical Interface Selection
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 5
Card Setup
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 6
Clock Modes
The COMM+4.PCI employs a unique clocking option that allows the end user
to select from divide by 4, and divide by 1 clocking modes. These modes are
selected at Header J1.
To select the Baud rates commonly associated with COM: ports (i.e. 2400,
4800, 9600, 19.2, … 115.2K bps) place the jumper in the divide by 4 mode
(silk-screen D4).
To select the Baud rates above 115.2K select the divide by 1 mode (silk-screen
D1).
Baud Rates and Divisors for the ‘DIV1’ mode
The following table shows some common data rates and the rates you should
choose to match them if using the adapter in the ‘DIV1’ mode.
For this Data Rate Choose this Data Rate
1200 bps 300 bps
2400 bps 600 bps
4800 bps 1200 bps
9600 bps 2400 bps
19.2K bps 4800 bps
57.6 K bps 14.4K bps
115.2 K bps 28.8K bps
230.4K bps 57.6 K bps
460.8K bps 115.2 K bps
If your communications package allows the use of Baud rate divisors, choose
the appropriate divisor from the following table:
For this Data Rate Choose this Divisor
1200 bps 384
2400 bps 192
4800 bps 96
9600 bps 48
19.2K bps 24
38.4K bps 12
57.6K bps 8
115.2K bps 4
230.4K bps 2
460.8K bps 1
2BInstallation
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 7
Installation
Operating System Installation
For Windows Users
Start by choosing Install Software at the beginning of the CD. Choose
Asynchronous COM: Port Software, SeaCOM.
Other Operating Systems
Refer to the appropriate section of the Serial Utilities Software.
System Installation
The COMM+4.PCI can be installed in any of the PCI expansion slots and
contains configuration options for each port that must be set for proper
operation.
1. Turn off PC power. Disconnect the power cord.
2. Remove the PC case cover.
3. Locate an available PCI slot and remove the blank metal slot cover.
4. Gently insert the COMM+4.PCI into the slot. Make sure that the adapter is
seated properly.
5. Replace the screw.
6. Replace the cover.
7. Install the Cable (CA-143)
8. Connect the power cord.
Installation is complete.
Technical Description
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 8
Technical Description
The Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI provides a PCI interface adapter with 4
RS-232/422/485 asynchronous serial ports for industrial automation and control
applications.
The COMM+4.PCI utilizes the 16C864 UART. This chip features
programmable baud rates, data format, interrupt control and industry leading
128-byte transmit and receive FIFOs.
Connector Pin Assignments
RS-422/485 (DB 9 Male)
Signal Name Pin # Mode
GND Ground 5
TX + Transmit Data Positive 4 Output
TX- Transmit Data Negative 3 Output
RTS+ Request To Send Positive 6 Output
RTS- Request To Send Negative 7 Output
RX+ Receive Data Positive 1 Input
RX- Receive Data Negative 2 Input
CTS+ Clear To Send Positive 9 Input
CTS- Clear To Send Negative 8 Input
RS-232 (DB-9 Male)
Signal Name Pin # Mode
GND Ground 5
TD Transmit Data 3 Output
RTS Request To Send 7 Output
DTR Data Terminal Ready 4 Output
RD Receive Data 2 Input
CTS Clear To Send 8 Input
DSR Data Set Ready 6 Input
DCD Data Carrier Detect 1 Input
RI Ring Indicator 9 Input
Technical Note: Please terminate any control signals that are not going to be
used. The most common way to do this is connect RTS to CTS and RI. Also,
connect DCD to DTR and DSR. Terminating these pins, if not used, will help
ensure you get the best performance from your adapter.
Technical Description
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 9
Connector Pin Assignments
RS-232, RS-422/485 (DB-37 Male)
Port # 1 2 3 4
RS-422/485 RS-232
RX+ DCD 37 10 28 1
RX- RD 36 11 27 2
TX- TD 35 12 26 3
TX+ DTR 34 13 25 4
GND GND 33 14 24 5
RTS+ DSR 18 29 9 20
RTS- RTS 17 30 8 21
CTS- CTS 16 31 7 22
CTS+ RI 15 32 6 23
Technical Note: Board connector is a DB-37M. Mating connector is a DB-37S,
ACON P/N: D-37SK-SFS-T or equivalent.
Specifications
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 10
Specifications
Environmental Specifications
Specification Operating Storage
Temperature
Range
0º to 50º C
(32º to 122º F)
-20º to 70º C
(-4º to 158º F)
Humidity Range
10 to 90% R.H.
Non-Condensing
10 to 90% R.H.
Non-Condensing
Manufacturing
• All Sealevel Systems Printed Circuit boards are built to U. L. 94V0 rating
and are 100% electrically tested. These printed circuit boards are solder
mask over bare copper or solder mask over tin nickel.
Power Consumption
Supply line
+12 VDC -12 VDC +5 VDC
Rating
60 mA 100 mA 620 mA
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
Greater than 150,000 hours. (Calculated)
Physical Dimensions
Board length 6.5 inches (16.51 cm)
Board Height including Goldfingers 4.2 inches (10.66 cm)
Board Height excluding Goldfingers 3.875 inches (9.841 cm)
5BAppendix A - Troubleshooting
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 11
Appendix A - Troubleshooting
Sealevel Software is supplied with the Sealevel Systems adapter and will be
used in the troubleshooting procedures. By using this software and following
these simple steps, most common problems can be eliminated without the need
to call Technical Support.
1. Identify all I/O adapters currently installed in your system. This includes
your on-board serial ports, controller cards, sound cards etc. The I/O
addresses used by these adapters, as well as the IRQ (if any) should be
identified.
2. Configure your Sealevel Systems adapter so that there is no conflict with
currently installed adapters. No two adapters can occupy the same I/O
address.
3. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is using a unique IRQ. While the
Sealevel Systems adapter does allow the sharing of IRQs, many other
adapters (i.e. SCSI adapters & on-board serial ports) do not
. The IRQ is
typically selected via an on-board header block. Refer to the section on
Card Setup for help in choosing an I/O address and IRQ.
4. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is securely installed in a
motherboard slot.
5. When running DOS or Windows 3.x refer to the supplied Sealevel Software
and this User Manual to verify that the Sealevel Systems adapter is
configured correctly. This software contains a diagnostic program ‘SSD’
that will verify if an adapter is configured properly. This diagnostic
program is written with the user in mind and is easy to use.
6. For Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000, the diagnostic tool ‘WinSSD’ is
installed in the SeaCOM folder on the Start Menu during the setup process.
First find the ports using the Device Manager, then use ‘WinSSD’ to verify
that the ports are functional.
7. Always use the Sealevel Systems diagnostic software when troubleshooting
a problem. This will eliminate any software issues from the equation.
6BAppendix B - How To Get Assistance
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 12
Appendix B - How To Get Assistance
Please refer to Appendix A - Troubleshooting prior to calling Technical
Support.
1. Read this manual thoroughly before attempting to install the
adapter in your system.
2. When calling for technical assistance, please have your user
manual and current adapter settings. If possible, please have the
adapter installed in a computer ready to run diagnostics.
3. Sealevel Systems maintains a Home page on the Internet. Our
home page address is www.sealevel.com
. The latest software
updates, and newest manuals are available via our FTP site that
can be accessed from our home page.
4. Technical support is available Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Technical support can be reached at
(864) 843-4343.
RETURN AUTHORIZATION MUST BE OBTAINED FROM
SEALEVEL SYSTEMS BEFORE RETURNED MERCHANDISE WILL
BE ACCEPTED. AUTHORIZATION CAN BE OBTAINED BY
CALLING SEALEVEL SYSTEMS AND REQUESTING A RETURN
MERCHANDISE AUTHORIZATION (RMA) NUMBER.
Appendix C – Electrical Interface
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 13
Appendix C - Electrical Interface
RS-232
Quite possibly the most widely used communication standard is RS-232. This
implementation has been defined and revised several times and is often referred
to as RS-232-C/D/E or EIA/TIA-232-C/D/E. It is defined as “Interface between
Data Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit- Terminating Equipment
Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange”. The mechanical implementation of
RS-232 is on a 25-pin D sub connector. The IBM PC computer defined the
RS-232 port on a 9 pin D sub connector and subsequently the EIA/TIA
approved this implementation as the EIA/TIA-574 standard. This standard has
defined as the “9-Position Non-Synchronous Interface between Data Terminal
Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing Serial Binary
Data Interchange”. Both implementations are in wide spread use and will be
referred to as RS-232 in this document. RS-232 is capable of operating at data
rates up to 20K bps / 50 ft. The absolute maximum data rate may vary due to
line conditions and cable lengths. RS-232 often operates at 38.4K bps over very
short distances. The voltage levels defined by RS-232 range from -12 to +12
volts. RS-232 is a single ended or unbalanced interface, meaning that a single
electrical signal is compared to a common signal (ground) to determine binary
logic states. A voltage of +12 volts (usually +3 to +10 volts) represents a binary
0 (space) and -12 volts (-3 to -10 volts) denote a binary 1 (mark). The RS-232
and the EIA/TIA-574 specification define two types of interface circuits Data
Terminal Equipment (DTE) and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE).
The Sealevel Systems Adapter is a DTE interface.
RS-422
The RS-422 specification defines the electrical characteristics of balanced
voltage digital interface circuits. RS-422 is a differential interface that defines
voltage levels and driver/receiver electrical specifications. On a differential
interface, logic levels are defined by the difference in voltage between a pair of
outputs or inputs. In contrast, a single ended interface, for example RS-232,
defines the logic levels as the difference in voltage between a single signal and a
common ground connection. Differential interfaces are typically more immune
to noise or voltage spikes that may occur on the communication lines.
Differential interfaces also have greater drive capabilities that allow for longer
cable lengths. RS-422 is rated up to 10 Megabits per second and can have
cabling 4000 feet long. RS-422 also defines driver and receiver electrical
characteristics that will allow 1 driver and up to 32 receivers on the line at once.
RS-422 signal levels range from 0 to +5 volts. RS-422 does not define a
physical connector.
Appendix C – Electrical Interface
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 14
RS-485
RS-485 is backwardly compatible with RS-422; however, it is optimized for
party line or multi-drop applications. The output of the RS-422/485 driver is
capable of being Active (enabled) or Tri-State (disabled). This capability
allows multiple ports to be connected in a multi-drop bus and selectively polled.
RS-485 allows cable lengths up to 4000 feet and data rates up to 10 Megabits
per second. The signal levels for RS-485 are the same as those defined by
RS-422. RS-485 has electrical characteristics that allow for 32 drivers and 32
receivers to be connected to one line. This interface is ideal for multi-drop or
network environments. RS-485 tri-state driver (not dual-state) will allow the
electrical presence of the driver to be removed from the line. Only one driver
may be active at a time and the other driver(s) must be tri-stated. RS-485 can be
cabled in two ways, two wire and four wire mode. Two-wire mode does not
allow for full duplex communication, and requires that data be transferred in
only one direction at a time. For half-duplex operation, the two transmit pins
should be connected to the two receive pins (Tx+ to Rx+ and Tx- to Rx-). Four
wire mode allows full duplex data transfers. RS-485 does not define a connector
pin-out or a set of modem control signals. RS-485 does not define a physical
connector.
Appendix D - Asynchronous Communications
Appendix D - Asynchronous Communications
Serial data communications implies that individual bits of a character are
transmitted consecutively to a receiver that assembles the bits back into a
character. Data rate, error checking, handshaking, and character framing
(start/stop bits) are pre-defined and must correspond at both the transmitting and
receiving ends.
Asynchronous communications is the standard means of serial data
communication for PC compatibles and PS/2 computers. The original PC was
equipped with a communication or COM: port that was designed around an
8250 Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). This device
allows asynchronous serial data to be transferred through a simple and
straightforward programming interface. A start bit, followed by a pre-defined
number of data bits (5, 6, 7, or 8) defines character boundaries for asynchronous
communications. The end of the character is defined by the transmission of a
pre-defined number of stop bits (usually 1, 1.5 or 2). An extra bit used for error
detection is often appended before the stop bits.
Remain Idle o
r
next start bit
Odd, Even
or
Unused
STOP
P
BIT
5 to 8 Data Bits
Idle state of
line
1
0
1
1.5
2
Figure 7 - Asynchronous Communications Bit Diagram
This special bit is called the parity bit. Parity is a simple method of determining
if a data bit has been lost or corrupted during transmission. There are several
methods for implementing a parity check to guard against data corruption.
Common methods are called (E)ven Parity or (O)dd Parity. Sometimes parity is
not used to detect errors on the data stream. This is refereed to as (N)o parity.
Because each bit in asynchronous communications is sent consecutively, it is
easy to generalize asynchronous communications by stating that each character
is wrapped (framed) by pre-defined bits to mark the beginning and end of the
serial transmission of the character. The data rate and communication
parameters for asynchronous communications have to be the same at both the
transmitting and receiving ends. The communication parameters are baud rate,
parity, number of data bits per character, and stop bits (i.e. 9600,N,8,1).
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 15
Appendix E - Silk-Screen
Appendix E - Silk-Screen
4.2"
6.5"
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 16
Appendix F - Compliance Notices
Appendix F - Compliance Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
FCC - This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference in such case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense.
EMC Directive Statement
Products bearing the CE Label fulfill the requirements of the
EMC directive (89/336/EEC) and of the low-voltage directive
(73/23/EEC) issued by the European Commission.
To obey these directives, the following European standards must be met:
• EN55022 Class A - “Limits and methods of measurement of radio
interference characteristics of information technology equipment”
• EN55024 -'Information technology equipment Immunity
characteristics Limits and methods of measurement'
• EN60950 (IEC950) - “Safety of information technology
equipment, including electrical business equipment”
Warning
This is a Class A Product. In a domestic environment this product may
cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to take
adequate measures.
Always use cabling provided with this product if possible. If no cable is
provided or if an alternate cable is required, use high quality shielded cabling to
maintain compliance with FCC/EMC directives.
Sealevel Systems COMM+4.PCI Page 17
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